BABY Emma was just hours into her life when she started suffering seizures.
Eight months later and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and stalled mental development, her hope for a better quality of life is in the hands of European scientists.
Her family is hoping to raise $35,000 to take Emma to Germany to receive the latest stem cell treatment.
Her mother Doreen Deede told The Cairns Post her daughter struggled to swallow food, play with other children and even reach for toys.
"But there's hope with the stem cell treatment - it's not a miracle cure but it will just improve things for her," she said.
"Maybe she will even be able to speak or walk."
After complications during labour, Ms Deede barely had time to hold her newborn baby before doctors rushed her away for treatment.
"She was born all floppy and was a greyish-blue colour," Ms Deede said.
"She was not able to breathe and the doctors had to resuscitate her and so, she suffered some brain damage."
Just hours after the arrival of her first child, the Cairns single mother's life was thrown into turmoil, with Emma suffering seizures throughout her first night.
"Then when she was three or four months old she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and her development is mentally delayed," Ms Deede said.
Having survived her tumultuous start, Emma now faces a new challenge to improve her future, with Ms Deede hoping to travel with her daughter to Germany next month to receive some of the latest stem cell therapy treatment.
The community has already banded behind mum and daughter to help raise the funds.
On Sunday, yoga-goers will stretch out their spines and open their wallets, performing 108 Sun Salutations at Knoff Yoga School from 7am.
In a final fundraiser, families will comb through clothes stalls, face painting and a petting zoo at a pre-loved toy sale at the Brothers Hockey Club in Calanna Park from 8am to 2pm on October 16.
While Emma's condition sees her struggle at meal times to swallow her food, play with other children or even reach for her toys, Ms Deede hopes the therapy will help her daughter gain some kind of independence as she grows older.
"I often think what kind of quality of life she will have in a wheelchair the rest of her life," she said.
"There are a lot of question marks."
At a cost of $10 those interested in participating in the 108 Sun Salutation event on Sunday can contact Joyce on 0429 322 896.
Further donations can be made by contacting The Cairns Post. Pledges will be passed on to Ms Deede.
Showing posts with label Stem cell transplant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stem cell transplant. Show all posts
08 October 2010
13 June 2010
Area man trying to raise funds for surgery to restore ability to walk
By JILL WHALEN (Staff Writer)
Published: June 12, 2010
Brian Lang wants to walk again.
Lang lost the use of his legs to multiple sclerosis a few years ago, and is hoping stem cell treatment will help him to his feet again.
The Hazle Township man has been researching the procedure and said it has shown "fantastic success" for others with multiple sclerosis. The treatment uses stem cells to replace or repair a patient's damaged cells or tissues.
"It basically turns back the body to what it was like when you were born," he said. The problem is the procedure is not offered in the United States, and it's not covered by insurance, putting it out of reach for Lang. He wants to somehow raise money for the operation - and is hoping some will hear his story and want to help.
Lang has been in a wheelchair since 2005, a few years after his multiple sclerosis was diagnosed. He also tested positive for Lyme disease, which is spread through deer tick bites.
Until that time, he was active. Growing up on a farm outside Shickshinny, he has always loved the outdoors and the activities it has to offer. When he wasn't working, he hunted, went snow-tubing and hiked.
He now relies on health aids to help him with everyday tasks like getting out of bed. And while his motorized wheelchair gets him around, it doesn't compare to the freedom of being able to walk unassisted.
"It was tough," he said of losing his independence and mobility.
Lang goes to physical therapy several times each week, and is able to stand with some assistance.
"My doctor told me, 'With your determination, you probably will walk again,'" Lang said.
Lang knows he will, too.
"I know it's possible," he said. "I won't stop trying until I walk again. When there's a will, there's a way."
Lang said he's willing to travel to Europe or China for the procedure, because it could be years until stem cell treatment is approved in the United States.
According to Dr. David Owens and Dr. Naomi Kleitman, program directors at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, research on stem cell therapy is ongoing.
"In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration requires evidence that a medical approach is both safe and effective before it approves its use," Owens said. "Safety and efficacy are demonstrated by data acquired through clinical trials. Recently in the United States, a clinical trial has been proceeding that is evaluating the safety of transplanted neural stem cells in patients with a type of motor neuron disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."
"The promise of both embryonic and adult stem cells for use in future therapies is exciting, but significant technical hurdles remain that will only be overcome through years of intensive research," Kleitman added, noting the national institute supports a diverse array of stem cell research.
Although it's not yet approved in the United States, Lang said it has been done successfully overseas. He said the procedure, like every medical procedure, carries some risk.
Anyone wishing to help Lang can contact him at artic11@verizon.net or Brian Lang, 1000 W. 28th St., Hazlewood Apartments, Apt. 103, Hazle Township, PA 18202.
jwhalen@standardspeaker.com
Published: June 12, 2010
Brian Lang wants to walk again.
Lang lost the use of his legs to multiple sclerosis a few years ago, and is hoping stem cell treatment will help him to his feet again.
The Hazle Township man has been researching the procedure and said it has shown "fantastic success" for others with multiple sclerosis. The treatment uses stem cells to replace or repair a patient's damaged cells or tissues.
"It basically turns back the body to what it was like when you were born," he said. The problem is the procedure is not offered in the United States, and it's not covered by insurance, putting it out of reach for Lang. He wants to somehow raise money for the operation - and is hoping some will hear his story and want to help.
Lang has been in a wheelchair since 2005, a few years after his multiple sclerosis was diagnosed. He also tested positive for Lyme disease, which is spread through deer tick bites.
Until that time, he was active. Growing up on a farm outside Shickshinny, he has always loved the outdoors and the activities it has to offer. When he wasn't working, he hunted, went snow-tubing and hiked.
He now relies on health aids to help him with everyday tasks like getting out of bed. And while his motorized wheelchair gets him around, it doesn't compare to the freedom of being able to walk unassisted.
"It was tough," he said of losing his independence and mobility.
Lang goes to physical therapy several times each week, and is able to stand with some assistance.
"My doctor told me, 'With your determination, you probably will walk again,'" Lang said.
Lang knows he will, too.
"I know it's possible," he said. "I won't stop trying until I walk again. When there's a will, there's a way."
Lang said he's willing to travel to Europe or China for the procedure, because it could be years until stem cell treatment is approved in the United States.
According to Dr. David Owens and Dr. Naomi Kleitman, program directors at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, research on stem cell therapy is ongoing.
"In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration requires evidence that a medical approach is both safe and effective before it approves its use," Owens said. "Safety and efficacy are demonstrated by data acquired through clinical trials. Recently in the United States, a clinical trial has been proceeding that is evaluating the safety of transplanted neural stem cells in patients with a type of motor neuron disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."
"The promise of both embryonic and adult stem cells for use in future therapies is exciting, but significant technical hurdles remain that will only be overcome through years of intensive research," Kleitman added, noting the national institute supports a diverse array of stem cell research.
Although it's not yet approved in the United States, Lang said it has been done successfully overseas. He said the procedure, like every medical procedure, carries some risk.
Anyone wishing to help Lang can contact him at artic11@verizon.net or Brian Lang, 1000 W. 28th St., Hazlewood Apartments, Apt. 103, Hazle Township, PA 18202.
jwhalen@standardspeaker.com
11 November 2009
Cord Blood Reverses Cerebral Palsy in Colorado Girl - Incredible Health - FOXNews.com
Chloe Levine was born seemingly perfect — she was the happy and healthy baby her parents had dreamed of.
But by the time she was 9 months old, Chloe was not reaching the milestones her older sister Shayla had met at that age.
Cord Blood Reverses Cerebral Palsy in Colorado Girl - Incredible Health - FOXNews.com
But by the time she was 9 months old, Chloe was not reaching the milestones her older sister Shayla had met at that age.
Cord Blood Reverses Cerebral Palsy in Colorado Girl - Incredible Health - FOXNews.com
13 March 2009
Louisiana boy hopes stem cell treatment will help him walk
March 11, 2009 04:26 PM
Kyle Stewart
By Keitha Nelson -
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - President Barack Obama lifted the ban on federal funding for stem cell research this week, fueling the argument about whether it's a vital medical advancement or murder, but for one seven-year-old Louisiana boy with a brain disorder, stem cell treatment may be his only hope.
Watch Him
On any given day, Kyle Stewart can be found rolling around in his wheelchair. He doesn't let his disability get in the way of being a kid. He fishes, plays baseball, and loves to ride horses. Kyle aspires to be a professional bull rider when he gets older and his mom wants to make sure his dream comes true.
Patricia Stewart and her only child are headed to China for umbilical cord stem cell treatment. Kyle will get stem cells through an IV. "They say that it could help with trunk control," Stewart said. "And his hand movements and his head control." She says the treatment for neurological disorders is not available in the United States, but she thinks it should be. Stem cell research has a number of opponents because in some cases, embryos are destroyed to create the cell lines. Stewart argues that if it helps people, there shouldn't be a big issue. "It's so hard until you're in the position and it's your child," she said. "Then you believe that whatever needs to be done you would do."
Determined to help her son, Stewart and her family have planned fundraisers and benefits, with the hopes that a trip to China and some tiny cells will make a huge difference. "We just hope that maybe something can help, a little change, a little better. We would be completely happy with that," she said.
Kyle is not alone. Connor Corken is a two-year-old boy from Amite who returned from China in August of last year after receiving umbilical cord stem cell treatments. He was blind. Little Connor can now see light, shadows, and movement. If you would like to help Kyle get his treatment in China, click here.
Kyle Stewart
By Keitha Nelson -
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - President Barack Obama lifted the ban on federal funding for stem cell research this week, fueling the argument about whether it's a vital medical advancement or murder, but for one seven-year-old Louisiana boy with a brain disorder, stem cell treatment may be his only hope.
Watch Him
On any given day, Kyle Stewart can be found rolling around in his wheelchair. He doesn't let his disability get in the way of being a kid. He fishes, plays baseball, and loves to ride horses. Kyle aspires to be a professional bull rider when he gets older and his mom wants to make sure his dream comes true.
Patricia Stewart and her only child are headed to China for umbilical cord stem cell treatment. Kyle will get stem cells through an IV. "They say that it could help with trunk control," Stewart said. "And his hand movements and his head control." She says the treatment for neurological disorders is not available in the United States, but she thinks it should be. Stem cell research has a number of opponents because in some cases, embryos are destroyed to create the cell lines. Stewart argues that if it helps people, there shouldn't be a big issue. "It's so hard until you're in the position and it's your child," she said. "Then you believe that whatever needs to be done you would do."
Determined to help her son, Stewart and her family have planned fundraisers and benefits, with the hopes that a trip to China and some tiny cells will make a huge difference. "We just hope that maybe something can help, a little change, a little better. We would be completely happy with that," she said.
Kyle is not alone. Connor Corken is a two-year-old boy from Amite who returned from China in August of last year after receiving umbilical cord stem cell treatments. He was blind. Little Connor can now see light, shadows, and movement. If you would like to help Kyle get his treatment in China, click here.
15 February 2009
Stem cell transplant reverses early-stage multiple sclerosis
12 Feb 2009
Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine appear to have reversed the neurological dysfunction of early-stage multiple sclerosis patients by transplanting their own immune stem cells into their bodies and thereby "resetting" their immune systems.
"This is the first time we have turned the tide on this disease," said principal investigator Richard Burt, MD, chief of immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases at the Feinberg School. The clinical trial was performed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where Burt holds the same title.
The patients in the small phase I/II trial continued to improve for up to 24 months after the stem cell transplant and then stabilised. They experienced improvements in areas in which they had been affected by multiple sclerosis including walking, ataxia, limb strength, vision and incontinence. The study will be published in the March issue of the Lancet Neurology.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. In its early stages, the disease is characterised by intermittent neurological symptoms, called relapsing-remitting MS. During this time, the person will either fully or partially recover from the symptoms experienced during the attacks. Common symptoms are visual problems, fatigue, sensory changes, weakness or paralysis of limbs, tremors, lack of coordination, poor balance, bladder or bowel changes and psychological changes.
Within 10 to 15 years after onset of the disease, most patients with this relapsing-remitting MS progress to a later stage called secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. In this stage, they experience a steady worsening of irreversible neurological damage.
The 21 patients in the trial, ages 20 to 53, had relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis that had not responded to at least six months of treatment with interferon beta. The patients had had MS for an average of five years. After an average follow-up of three years after transplantation, 17 patients (81 percent) improved by at least one point on a disability scale. The disease also stabilized in all patients.
In the procedure, Burt and colleagues treated patients with chemotherapy to destroy their immune system. They then injected the patients with their own immune stem cells, obtained from the patients' blood before the chemotherapy, to create a new immune system. The procedure is called autologous non-myeloablative haematopoietic stem-cell transplantion.
"We focus on destroying only the immune component of the bone marrow and then regenerate the immune component, which makes the procedure much safer and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy for cancer," Burt said. After the transplantation, the patient's new lymphocytes or immune cells are self-tolerant and do not attack the immune system.
"In MS the immune system is attacking your brain," Burt said. "After the procedure, it doesn't do that anymore."
In previous studies, Burt had transplanted immune stem cells into late-stage MS patients.
"It didn't help in the late stages, but when we treat them in the early stage, they get better and continue to get better," he said.
"What we did is promising and exciting, but we need to prove it in a randomised trial," Burt noted. He has launched a randomised national trial.
(Source: Northwestern University : Burt R. Stem cell therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis failing interferon A randomised study. Lancet Neurology. : February 2009)
Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine appear to have reversed the neurological dysfunction of early-stage multiple sclerosis patients by transplanting their own immune stem cells into their bodies and thereby "resetting" their immune systems.
"This is the first time we have turned the tide on this disease," said principal investigator Richard Burt, MD, chief of immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases at the Feinberg School. The clinical trial was performed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where Burt holds the same title.
The patients in the small phase I/II trial continued to improve for up to 24 months after the stem cell transplant and then stabilised. They experienced improvements in areas in which they had been affected by multiple sclerosis including walking, ataxia, limb strength, vision and incontinence. The study will be published in the March issue of the Lancet Neurology.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. In its early stages, the disease is characterised by intermittent neurological symptoms, called relapsing-remitting MS. During this time, the person will either fully or partially recover from the symptoms experienced during the attacks. Common symptoms are visual problems, fatigue, sensory changes, weakness or paralysis of limbs, tremors, lack of coordination, poor balance, bladder or bowel changes and psychological changes.
Within 10 to 15 years after onset of the disease, most patients with this relapsing-remitting MS progress to a later stage called secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. In this stage, they experience a steady worsening of irreversible neurological damage.
The 21 patients in the trial, ages 20 to 53, had relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis that had not responded to at least six months of treatment with interferon beta. The patients had had MS for an average of five years. After an average follow-up of three years after transplantation, 17 patients (81 percent) improved by at least one point on a disability scale. The disease also stabilized in all patients.
In the procedure, Burt and colleagues treated patients with chemotherapy to destroy their immune system. They then injected the patients with their own immune stem cells, obtained from the patients' blood before the chemotherapy, to create a new immune system. The procedure is called autologous non-myeloablative haematopoietic stem-cell transplantion.
"We focus on destroying only the immune component of the bone marrow and then regenerate the immune component, which makes the procedure much safer and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy for cancer," Burt said. After the transplantation, the patient's new lymphocytes or immune cells are self-tolerant and do not attack the immune system.
"In MS the immune system is attacking your brain," Burt said. "After the procedure, it doesn't do that anymore."
In previous studies, Burt had transplanted immune stem cells into late-stage MS patients.
"It didn't help in the late stages, but when we treat them in the early stage, they get better and continue to get better," he said.
"What we did is promising and exciting, but we need to prove it in a randomised trial," Burt noted. He has launched a randomised national trial.
(Source: Northwestern University : Burt R. Stem cell therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis failing interferon A randomised study. Lancet Neurology. : February 2009)
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